Among thermomineral waters, waters of this type occupy a special place; as a rule, being therapeutic, they are most widely used in industry from underground waters. It is from these waters that we obtain all industrial bromine and about 3/4 of iodine. Iodobromine waters are used for treatment both externally and internally; in the latter case, their mineralization should not exceed 10-15 g/l, and if dilution with fresh water is needed, the concentration of bromine when diluted should not fall below 25 mg/l, and iodine — 5 mg/l.
In Kyrgyzstan, iodobromine waters are most commonly found in the same areas as sulfide waters, as well as when drilling structural and oil exploration wells deeper than 3 km in the Issyk-Kul, Naryn, and Chui basins. They are found in the largest quantities in the Lenin district of the Osh region near the city of Maili-Say and the settlement of Kochkor-Ata. With lower criteria for iodine content of 5 mg/l and bromine 25 mg/l, in the underground waters of this area, iodine is often found at 6-25 mg/l, bromine — 30-390 mg/l with a total water mineralization of 20-115 g/l.
In addition to their balneological value, these waters, uncovered at depths of 3-4 km, have elevated temperatures, which often allows them to be used for therapeutic purposes without additional preparation. For example, in the hydrotherapy center of the settlement of Kochkor-Ata, water from well No. 14, drilled during oil and gas exploration in the 1950s, is used, which currently yields almost 100 m³/day of sodium chloride water with a mineralization of 55 g/l and a temperature of 44°C; the bromine concentration in it is 160 mg/l, iodine — 10 mg/l. This is a good alternative to the well-known Maikop therapeutic waters in our country.
Well No. 200 of the NP "Kyrgyzneft," drilled in 1970 north of the settlement of Kochkor-Ata, brought water from deposits of the lower chalk at a depth of just over 3000 m with a temperature of 55°C of sodium chloride composition with a dry residue of 116.8 g/l and bromine content of 204 and iodine 5.76 mg/l; during testing, this well produced more than 1200 m³/day of water under a pressure of 27.3 MPa at the mouth.
The above-mentioned and a number of other well-known facts to specialists allow us to assert that the resources of iodobromine waters in the republic are significant and capable of meeting any real needs for them.
